Closure for barrels and similar containers.



W. M. WIRTH.

cLosuRE Foa BARRELS AND sviMlLAR coNTAmERs.

APPLICATION FILED AUG1|I913 f Patented Feb. 8,

, 4... l.. a dal!! l WILLIAM M. WIRTH, 0F ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI GLOSUBE FOR BARRLS AND SIMILAR CONTAINERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

rateatea rea. a, isis.,

Application led August 11, 1913. Serial No. 784,108.

T0 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM M. Wm'rr-i, a citizen of the United States, and resident of St. Louis, Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Closures for lBarrels and Similar Containers, of which the following is a specification containing a. full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to improvements in closures for barrels and similar containers, and the object of my invention is to c nstruct an element in thevform of an ogen and elastic ring which carries a means for distorting Athe ring so that the ring' will coact with the improved container to bear down upon the closure of the container to form a fluid-tight vjoint and so that the closure may be repeatedly removed and replaced.

' With the above purposes. in view my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter described, pointed out in the claims and illustrated by the accompanying-drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan ofan ordinary wooden barrel constructed according to my invention, a portion of the head being removed; Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the upper end of the barrel shown in Fig., 1 showing the head held by my improved ring; Fig. 3 is a fra ental sectional plan of my improved ring showing in dotted lines one end of the open ring in its distorted position; Fig. 4f' is a fragmental edge elevation of the ring; and Fig. 5 is a view illustrating the cross section of the ring.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings: 6 designates the container, In the 'drawings this container isI inthe present instance an ordinary wooden barrel, but I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to this specified form'of container, as I contemplate the constructlon of jars, cans and the like all of which will i, be employed in connection 'with removable heads or closures.

While I have stated that the barrel'is of ordinary construction I make a slight exception in that the croze or groove which receives the head is of such shape as to provide a shoulder against which the head rests and an inclined shoulder above the first mentioned'shoulder which willreceive and coact with the packing ring to hold the head firmly in place against the shoulder on which it rests. p

In the-drawings I show the ring 7 Which is secured against the inside face of the barrel adjacent its top. This ring has an inclined shoulder 8 which is V-shaped in cross section and. arranged for'the support of the head 9vof the barrel. Above the shoulder 8 there is an anuular depression 10 the upper wall 11 of which depression is inclined upwardly and inwardly. From this inclined wall the ring 7 extends over the top or chime of the barrel. I

By the employment of the ring 7 a wooden barrel or container may be repeatedly used, that is opened or closed, by the removal or replacing of its-head without deteriorating to such an extent as to prohibit its repeated! uses.

It is to be observed that the chime at the inner end of the inclined wall 11 does not extend inwardly'over .the resting point of the head 9, thus permitting easy'insertion structed of elastic material and vsubstantially U-shape in cross section. This ring is essentially an open ring, and overlapping its terminals and pivotally connected thereto by pivots 14 and 15 is a lever 13 which acts as a toggle-link between each terminal of the ring. The cross section of the lever is such as to permit its fitting within the ring 12. The said split-ring 12 is as shown in Fig. 5,' provided with an inclined outer periphery, which during use bears against the said upper wall 11 of said annular depression 10 and forces the said ring downwardly against the barrel-head 9, and thereby forces said barrel-head into intimate contact with the said inclined shoulder 8 of the said rin'g 7. This construction and function, as thus described, produces a very tight joint between the said barrel-head and the said inclined shoulder 8.

Formed in the lever 13 adjacent its free end there is an opening 16 arranged to receive a slotted projection 17 fixedly secured to the ring 12 which serves the function of providing a sealing or locking means for the ring. The terminals of the ring are preferably cut on a bevel, and in order to provide for a relatively large distortion of the ring the lever 13, between the pivotal points 14: and 15, is provided with a reduced neck 18 for the purpose of receiving the end of the ring when open or distorted, as clearly shown by dotted lines in Fig, 3.

By cutting the ends of the split-ung on a bevel, as shown in Figs. 3 and d, l cause one of said beveled ends to overlap the other beveled end, when the ring is in place,

whereby one beveled end will securely hold the other in place and form a tighter lit,

I claim:

f l, ln combination witlna container and a cover therefor, an inclined shoulder V- shaped in cross-section in the inner surface of the said container, there being an annular depression in said surface at a point above the said il-shaped shoulder, and the upper wall of said annular depression being inclined upwardly and inwardly, and a split ring1 arranged to engage the said upper wall of the said annular depression and press down the said cover, into tight contact with the said ll-shaped shoulder.

2, ln combination with a container a metallic-ring placed within the open end of said container and having an inner inclined shoulder for the support of a cover, and a second inclined shoulder formed above the first mentioned inclined shoulder, a split ring having an inclined periphery to enmanor@ gage said upper inclined shoulder, a cover removable and replaceable as a unit from, said container, and a toggle-lever linking; together the adjacent ends of said split ring.,

8, ln a closure, a split flexible-ring having its ends cut. on a bevel, and adapted one to overlap the other, an inclined portion formed on the outer periphery of said ring, and a toggle-lever linking together said bev eled ends, said ring being hollow, and said toggle-lever being arranged to rest within said hollow ring after said ring has been e2;- pandedB i 4. A container having in its inner periphery an inclined shoulder lol-shaped in cross section and an annular depression above said inclined shoulder, the upper wall of which annular depression is inclined upwardly and inwardly, a cover resting upon said inclined shoulder, and a flexible ring fitted within said annular depression to hold the cover in positionB ln testimony' whereof, l have signed iny naine to this specification, in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WLLAM M. lVlR'll-l, lvVitnesses:

E. L., lll/'Annalen JOHN C. HIGDON.

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